Adjustable conduit clamp

ABSTRACT

A pair of pipe clamps each having a pair of gripping members to clamp a pipe therebetween and with the gripping members of each clamp defining angularly related channels, with one channel of each clamp grooved and the other shaped as a tongue interfitting with said groove and with the clamps embracing a pipe and swingably adjustable on said pipe.

DESCRIPTION

1. Field of Invention

This invention relates to couplings for securing tubular members such aspipe and conduit together in angularly related positions and disclosesimprovements in U.S. Pat. No. 4,007,993.

2. Background of the Invention

In the construction of frames for boat covers, tents or other temporarystructures, particularly where the frame will be a "do-it-yourself"project, there has been a need for couplings or fittings that wouldenable pipe or conduit, such as electric conduit, to be connectedtogether in angularly related positions other than 90°. This need arisesnot only in the connection of two conduits, but also where a four-wayjunction is involved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention makes possible the joining of two pipes or conduits toextend away from each other in any desired angular relationship andwherein the loading is transmitted directly from one pipe section to theother. The invention also makes possible the provision of a four-wayconnector which is angularly adjustable whereby two of the connectingpipes may be adjusted relative to each other up to 90° with stops forlimiting this adjustment either at 45° or at 90°. The coupling may bereadily assembled and disassembled to the pipe or conduit, using simpletools such as a wrench.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the invention embodied inconnectors used in the construction of a winter cover for a boat;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of one embodiment of the connector as shownin FIG. 1;

FIG. 2A is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the line 2A--2Aof FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 shows the connector of FIG. 2 at a different angularly adjustedposition;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a four-way connector embodying the inventionlooking in the direction of arrows 4--4 in FIG. 6;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the connector of FIG. 4 looking in thedirection of arrows 5--5 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the connector shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of one of the clamps of the connector of FIG.4;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation of the other clamp of the connector of FIG.4;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation showing the connector of FIG. 4 adjusted toits 90° position; and

FIG. 10 is a side elevation of the connector of FIG. 4 adjusted to its45° angular position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIG. 1 I have shown a winter cover frame for a power boat in whichthe frame is constructed utilizing the teaching of U.S. Pat. No.4,007,993 and the improved connectors of the instant application. Theboat 20 includes as part of its equipment a lifeline rail 22 havingupwardly extending stanchions 24, the rail and stanchions beingpermanently secured to, and a part of, the boat. In constructing theframe, connectors 26, which correspond to the connectors shown in U.S.Pat. No. 4,007,993, are fastened to the rail 22 and the frame members 28are secured in the connectors and extend upwardly therefrom to be joinedto the roof members 30 by connectors 32 as shown in FIG. 3 of thedrawings. In the prior art where connector 32 was not present, theconduit was bent as at 34. Thus, connector 32 obviates the need to bendthe tubing and facilitates the do-it-yourself construction of thetubular frame.

Connector 32 comprises a pair of pipe clamps 36 and 38, each having apair of cooperating gripping members 40 and 42. The pipe clamps are ofidentical construction and therefore a description of one will sufficefor both. One of the gripping members of each clamp has a web portion 44which extends from the clamps into overlapping relation between theclamps as clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The web is shaped at one endto provide a curved pipe-receiving portion 46 whose curve substantiallymatches that of a standard diameter pipe or conduit to be gripped, suchas 3/4-inch pipe. The curved end portion 46 extends only partiallyaround the pipe and terminates at the free edge 48. The opposite end 50is generally curved in the plane of the web and terminates in theportion which overlaps the corresponding web of the opposite clampingmember.

The gripping member 42 has a generally V-shaped pipe-receiving end whichis adapted to overlie the opposite side of the pipe from the end 46.Gripping member 42 has at its other end a short web 52 terminating in adownturned flange 54 intended to bear against the web 44. Means areprovided for pivotally connecting the overlapping end portions 50 of theclamps and for tightening the clamps on the pipe and locking the clampsin angularly adjusted positions. Such means includes bolt 56 extendsthrough the two webs 44 and 52 with a nut 58 opposite the bolt head fortightening the clamps against pipe 28 disposed between thepipe-receiving ends. By virtue of having a V-shaped end 42 and anarcuately curved end 46, the pipe clamp will effectively secure varyingdiameter pipes which is an advantage for the do-it-yourself mechanic.

The means for pivotally connecting the overlapping ends 50 of the twopipe clamps comprise the shank portion of a bolt 60 having a head at oneend overlying one of the end portions 50 and a nut (not shown) threadedonto the shank and overlying the end portion of the other clamp suchthat upon tightening the nut the overlapping end portions 50 may bedrawn tightly together to lock the pipe clamps in an adjusted angularposition to consequently hold the pipes 28 and 30 in adjusted angularpositions.

The construction and arrangement of the pipe clamps forming theconnector 32 is such that the pipes held by the clamps may abut oneanother as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In FIG. 2 an upright pipe 62 bears atits upper end 64 against another pipe 66 forming a portion of the roofof the frame whereby the loading on the roof member 66 is transmitteddirectly to the pipe 62. The lower end of pipe 62 may be provided with arubber cap 68 to prevent damage to the deck of the boat. In FIG. 3,where the connector is used at an outside corner, the ends of the pipesmay be arranged to slightly nestle or interfit, as at 70, wherebyloading from the roof member 30 may be transmitted directly to theupright 28. It is apparent from a consideration of FIGS. 2 and 3 thatthe loading may be transmitted directly between the pipes received inthe connector at substantially any angle of inclination between thepipes simply by adjusting the ends gripped by the pipe clamps so thatthe pipe abuts. This feature of the clamp is considered an importantadvantage of this connector.

Another embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the remainingfigures of the drawings showing a four-way connector. This connector isshown in use in FIG. 1 where there is reference to FIG. 4. The roof pipe66 extends completely through the connector as best shown in FIGS. 4 and5. The connector comprises a pair of pipe clamps 72 and 74, each havinga pair of cooperating gripping members adapted to clamp pipetherebetween. In the case of clamp 72, there are opposed cooperatingpipe-gripping members 76 and 78, each configured to embrace a pipe 30received therebetween, and for this purpose gripping member 76 may havea V-shaped configuration at 80. Gripper 78 may have a cylindricallycurved portion 82 such that the cylindrically curved and V-shapedportions embrace opposite sides of the pipe 30 to accommodate pipes ofvarying diameter, as was the case with the connector 32. Clamp 72includes gripper 76 having web portions 84 integral with the V-shapedportion 80 and gripper 78 having web portions 86 integral with thecylindrical portion 82. The grippers 76 and 78 terminate in opposedspaced apart pairs of pipe-gripping ends. One pair comprises theV-shaped gripping end 87 disposed in opposition to a clyindrical curvedend 88, while the other pair comprises a V-shaped end 90 opposed tocylindrically curved end 92. It will be observed from FIGS. 4 and 5 thatthese pairs, i.e., 87-88 and 90-92, are disposed in spaced apartrelation along the pipe 66 to form in effect a groove 93. Into thisgroove fits a tongue formed by the pipe-gripping ends 94 and 96 of theclamp 74. End 96 is a cylindrically curved portion which is an extensionof the cylindrically curved portion 98 to gripper 75. The V-shaped end94 is an extension of the V-shaped gripping portion 100 of the gripper74. It will be noted that the gripping portions 96 and 98 are disposedat right angles to each other, as are the gripping portions 94 and 100.

Web portions 102 and 104 are adapted to receive bolts 106, having headsand nuts 108 such that upon tightening the nuts upon the bolts thegripping members are tightened upon the ends of the tubing 30 and 30a,as well as upon the pipe 66, thereby locking the connector in adjustedangular positions.

In a broad sense, clamps 72 and 74 terminate in overlapping pivotallyconnected portions 87-88, 90-92 and 94-96. Means are provided forpivotally connecting the clamps which comprises the pipe 66 embraced bysuch end portions of the clamps. The bolts 106 serve as means to drawthe clamping members tightly against the pipe received therebetween tolock the clamps thereon and in determined angularly related positions.Thus, in a generic sense this embodiment is similar to the embodiment ofFIGS. 2, 2A and 3.

The connector oF FIGS. 4 and 5, in addition to being adjustable tovarious angular positions, may be locked in either a 90° position asshown in FIG. 9, or a 45° position as shown in FIG. 10. This isaccomplished by virtue of the design wherein the cylindrically curvedportion 98 of the gripper 77 will abut the end 110 of the cylindricallycurved portion 78 of the gripper 78. On the other hand, to limit theswingable movement to 45°, faces 112 of the V-shaped ends 87 and 90 ofgripper 76 will abut webs 102 and 104 of the gripper 75, as shown inFIG. 10. Thus, the connector of FIGS. 4 and 5 can swing through an arcof 135° from a position shown in FIG. 10 to the position shown in FIG.9, and may be installed during the construction of a frame toaccommodate the angle required between the various pipes to beconnected. It will be noted that, as with the connector shown in FIGS. 2and 3, this connector may permit the pipe to extend through the grippersto the point where the ends abut the other pipe being retained by theconnector so that forces may be transmitted directly from one pipe toanother.

I claim:
 1. A pipe coupler for holding a plurality of pipes in angularly adjustable positions comprising, in combination:a pair of pipe clamps each having a pair of cooperating gripping members adapted to clamp pipe therebetween, the cooperating gripping members of each clamp defining angularly related pipe receiving channels; one channel of each clamp transversely grooved and a corresponding channel of the other clamp transversely shaped as a tongue to interfit in said groove when the channels are coaxially aligned and the gripping members are embracing a pipe extending through the channels with the clamps being swingably adjustable on such pipe relative to each other; and fastener means for drawing the gripping members tightly against pipe therebetween and for locking the clamps in adjusted angularly related positions.
 2. The invention defined by claim 1 wherein stop means are provided for limiting the swingable movement of the clamps in opposite directions.
 3. The invention defined by claim 2 wherein the stop means limits the swingable adjustment in one direction to substantially one-half the swingable movement in the opposite direction.
 4. The invention of claim 3 wherein a pipe received in the tongue and groove channels is adapted to abut the ends of pipe received in the other channel of each clamp. 